Delaware Group Adviser Funds DEF 14ADefinitive proxy

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a joint special meeting of the shareholders of each trust listed above of the Delaware Funds by Macquarie complex (each individually, a “Trust,” and collectively, the “Trusts”) and each series of each Trust as set forth on Appendix A (each individually, a “Fund,” and collectively the “Funds”) will be held via webcast on December 17, 2021 at 10:30 am ET (the “Meeting”).  At the Meeting, shareholders will be asked to consider and vote upon the following proposal (the “Proposal”) and to act upon any other business which may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof:

This joint proxy statement (“Joint Proxy Statement”) is being furnished to you in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Boards of Trustees (each a “Board,” and collectively, the “Board” or the “Boards”) of the each of the trusts listed above (each individually, a “Trust,” and collectively, the “Trusts”) on behalf of each series of each Trust as set forth on Appendix A (each individually, a “Fund,” and collectively the “Funds”) to be held via webcast on December 17, 2021 at 10:30 am ET (the “Meeting”).

The Joint Proxy Statement provides you with information you should review before voting on the matters listed in the Notice of the Joint Special Meeting of Shareholders. Much of the information in this Joint Proxy Statement is required under rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). If there is anything you do not understand, please contact Computershares at 866-963-6125. This Joint Proxy Statement, the Notice of the Joint Special Meeting of Shareholders and related proxy card(s)/voting instruction form(s) will be mailed to shareholders of the Funds beginning on or about October 25, 2021.

Below is a brief overview of the matter to be voted on at the Meeting. Your vote is important, no matter how large or small your holdings may be. Please read the full text of this Joint Proxy Statement, which contains additional information about the Proposal, and keep it for future reference.

If you are a registered shareholder, you do not need to register to attend the Meeting virtually on the Internet. If you hold your shares through an intermediary, such as a bank or broker, you must register in advance to attend the Meeting virtually on the Internet.

To register to attend the Meeting online by webcast you must submit proof of your proxy power (legal proxy) reflecting your Fund holdings along with your name and email address to Computershare. You must contact the bank or broker who holds your shares to obtain your legal proxy.  Requests for registration must be labeled as “Legal Proxy” and be received no later than 5:00 p.m., ET, 3 business days prior to the Meeting date.

Requests for registration should be directed to us by emailing an image of your legal proxy, to shareholdermeetings@computershare.com.

The virtual meeting platform is fully supported across MS Edge, Firefox, Chrome and Safari browsers and devices (desktops, laptops, tablets and cell phones) running the most up-to-date version of applicable software and plugins. Please note that Internet Explorer is no longer supported. Participants should ensure that they have a strong WiFi connection wherever they intend to participate in the meeting. We encourage you to access the meeting prior to the

start time. A link on the meeting page will provide further assistance should you need it or you may call 888-724-2416 or 781-575-2748.

Currently, the Board of Trustees of each Trust has ten members, nine of whom are Independent Trustees (as defined below).  The Board has determined to increase the size of the Board of each Trust to thirteen members, to be comprised of the ten existing trustees of each Trust and three nominees who served as trustees of the Ivy Funds complex prior to the acquisition of the parent company of the Ivy Funds’ investment adviser, Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc., by Macquarie Asset Management, the asset management division of Macquarie Group (“Macquarie”) and an affiliate of the Funds’ investment adviser, Delaware Management Company (“DMC”)..  In order to satisfy the board composition requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), the Funds’ shareholders must approve the selection of the trustee nominees. Among other things, the Board considered the background and experience of each trustee nominee, including each trustee’s experience with the Delaware Funds by Macquarie and the Ivy Funds, and determined that each trustee nominee would provide valuable continuity and enhance the Board’s oversight of the Funds.

At the Meeting, shareholders of each Trust will be asked to elect the following nominees to serve as Trustees on the Board of each Trust: Jerome D. Abernathy, Thomas L. Bennett, Ann D. Borowiec, Joseph W. Chow, H. Jeffrey Dobbs, John A. Fry, Joseph Harroz, Jr., Sandra A. J. Lawrence, Frances A. Sevilla-Sacasa, Thomas K. Whitford, Christianna Wood, Janet L. Yeomans, and Shawn K. Lytle (the “Trustee Nominees”).

The Board currently consists of ten Trustees: Jerome D. Abernathy, Thomas L. Bennett, Ann D. Borowiec, Joseph W. Chow, John A. Fry, Frances A. Sevilla-Sacasa, Thomas K. Whitford, Christianna Wood, Janet L. Yeomans, and Shawn K. Lytle (the “Current Trustees”).

If each Trustee Nominee is approved, the Board of each Trust would consist of thirteen Trustees.  Of the ten Current Trustees, Thomas L. Bennett, Ann D. Borowiec, Joseph W. Chow, John A. Fry, Frances A. Sevilla-Sacasa, Thomas K. Whitford and Janet L. Yeomans have previously been elected to the Board by Fund shareholders.  In addition to the Trustee Nominees who are Current Trustees, it is proposed that three additional Trustee Nominees — Joseph Harroz, Jr., Sandra A. J. Lawrence, and H. Jeffrey Dobbs — be added to the Board if elected by Fund shareholders.   Except for Mr. Lytle, none of the Trustee Nominees are an “interested person” of the Trusts (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) (the “Independent Trustees”).  Should Mr. Lytle be elected to the Board of each Trust by that Trust’s shareholders, he would be considered an “interested” Trustee because of his position with Macquarie (the “Interested Trustee”).

At a meeting held on August 11-12, 2021, the Board, at the recommendation of the Trusts’ Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, which is comprised solely of Independent Trustees, nominated each Trustee Nominee for election to the Board of each Trust.

The persons named in the accompanying form of proxy intend to vote at the Meeting (unless directed not to vote) FOR the election of each Trustee Nominee set forth below.  All Trustee Nominees have indicated that they will serve on the Board, and the Board has no reason to believe that any of them will become unavailable to continue to serve as Trustees.  If a Trustee Nominee is unavailable to serve for any reason, the persons named as proxies will vote for such other Trustee Nominees nominated by the Independent Trustees.  Under the Declarations of Trust and By-laws, a Trustee may serve as a Trustee until he or she dies, resigns or is removed from office.

The twelve Independent Trustee Nominees, their term of office and length of time served (as applicable), their principal business occupations during the past five years, the number of portfolios overseen by the Trustee Nominees

(or the number of portfolios they will oversee should they be elected by shareholders, as applicable) and other directorships, if any, held by the Trustee Nominees are shown below.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of the Trusts is responsible for identifying, evaluating and recommending candidates to the Board.  The Committee reviews the background and the educational, business and professional experience of candidates and the candidates’ expected contributions to the Board.  Although the Board has not adopted a formal diversity policy, the Board nevertheless believes that the different perspectives, viewpoints, professional experience, education, and individual qualities of each director contribute to the Board’s diversity of experiences and bring a variety of complementary skills.  It is the Trustees’ belief that this allows the Board, as a whole, to oversee the business of the Trusts in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Trusts’ shareholders.

The Board has determined that each Trustee Nominee is qualified to serve on the Board because of his or her specific attributes, including prior experience, background and skills.  The Board considered that the Trustee Nominees’ familiarity and experience with the Funds, as members of the Board, of DMC and its affiliates, as members of the Delaware Funds by Macquarie board or the Ivy Funds board, would result in the Board having a breadth of knowledge that would enhance its ability to oversee the Funds.

The following is a summary of various qualifications, experiences and skills of each Trustee Nominee that that led to the Board’s conclusion that the Trustee Nominee should serve as a Trustee on the Board.

Independent Trustee Nominees

Interested Trustee Nominee

The Trusts are governed by the Board, which is responsible for the overall management of the Trusts and the Funds.  Such responsibility includes general oversight and review of the Funds’ investment activities, in accordance with Federal law and the law of the State of Delaware, as well as the stated policies of the Funds.  The Board has appointed officers of the Trusts and delegated to them the management of the day-to-day operations of the Funds, based on policies reviewed and approved by the Board, with general oversight by the Board.

Under the Declarations of Trust and By-laws, a Trustee may serve as a Trustee until he or she dies, resigns or is removed from office.  The Trusts are not required to hold annual meetings of shareholders for the election or re-election of Trustees or for any other purpose, and do not intend to do so.  Delaware law permits shareholders to remove Trustees under certain circumstances and requires the Trusts to assist in shareholder communications.

If shareholders elect the Trustee Nominees, the Board will be comprised of twelve Independent Trustees and one Interested Trustee. The Board believes that having a majority of Independent Trustees on the Board is appropriate and in the best interests of the Trusts’ shareholders.  In addition, the Board’s chairman, Thomas L. Bennett, is an Independent Trustee.  In that regard, Mr. Bennett’s responsibilities include: setting an agenda for each meeting of the Board; presiding at all meetings of the Board and of the Independent Trustees; and serving as a liaison with other Trustees, the Trusts’ officers and other management personnel, and counsel.  The Independent Chair also performs such other duties as the Board may from time to time determine.

The Board generally holds four regularly scheduled meetings each year.  The Board may hold special meetings, as needed, in person, by videoconference or by telephone, to address matters arising between regular meetings.  The Independent Trustees also hold four regularly scheduled meetings each year, during a portion of which management is not present, as well as a special meeting in connection with the Board’s annual consideration of the Trusts’ management agreements, and may hold special meetings, as needed.  The Board held 6 meetings (all of which were virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic) during the 12-month period ended August 31, 2021.  No Current Trustee attended less than 75% of the aggregate number of meetings of each Board and of each Committee on which the Current Trustee served during such period.

The Board has established a committee structure (described below) that includes four standing committees, the Audit Committee, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Investments Committee, and the Committee of Independent Trustees, all of which are comprised solely of Independent Trustees.  The Board periodically evaluates its structure and composition, as well as various aspects of its operations.  The Board believes that its leadership structure, including its Independent Chair position and its committees, is appropriate for the Trusts in light of, among other factors, the asset size and nature of the Trusts, the number of Funds overseen by the Board, the arrangements for the conduct of the Trusts’ operations, the number of Trustees, and the Board’s responsibilities.

The Board has established the following standing committees: Audit Committee, Executive Committee, Investment Oversight Committee and Governance Committee.  The respective duties and current memberships of the standing committees are set forth below.  The Board may establish ad hoc committees from time to time and compensate Trustees for service on such committees.

Audit Committee.  This committee monitors accounting and financial reporting policies, practices, and internal controls for the Trust. It also oversees the quality and objectivity of the Trust's financial statements and the independent audit thereof, and acts as a liaison between the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm and the full Board. The Trust's Audit Committee consists of the following Independent Trustees: Thomas K. Whitford, Chair; Jerome D. Abernathy; John A. Fry; and Christianna Wood.  The Committee held 7 meetings (all of which were virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic) during the 12-month period ended August 31, 2021.

Committee of Independent Trustees.  This committee develops and recommends to the Board a set of corporate governance principles and oversees the evaluation of the Board, its committees, and its activities. The committee comprises all of the Trust's Independent Trustees. The Committee held 4 meetings (all of which were virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic) during the 12-month period ended August 31, 2021.

Investment Committee.  The primary purposes of the Investments Committee are to: (i) assist the Board at its request in its oversight of the investment advisory services provided to the Trust by DMC as well as any sub-advisors; (ii) review all proposed advisory and sub-advisory agreements for new funds or proposed amendments to existing agreements and to recommend what action the full Board and the Independent Trustees should take regarding the approval of all such proposed agreements; and (iii) review reports supplied by DMC regarding investment performance, portfolio risk and expenses and to suggest changes to such reports. The Investments Committee consists of the following Independent Trustees: Joseph W. Chow, Chair; Jerome D. Abernathy; and Christianna Wood. The Committee held 6 meetings (all of which were virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic) during the 12-month period ended August 31, 2021.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.  This committee recommends Board nominees, fills Board vacancies that arise in between meetings of shareholders, and considers the qualifications and independence of Board members. The committee also monitors the performance of counsel for the Independent Trustees. The committee will consider shareholder recommendations for nomination to the Board only in the event that there is a vacancy on the Board. Shareholders who wish to submit recommendations for nominations to the Board to fill a vacancy must submit their recommendations in writing to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, Attention: Secretary, c/o Delaware Funds by Macquarie at 100 Independence, 610 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2354. Shareholders should include appropriate information on the background and qualifications of any persons recommended (e.g., a resume), as well as the candidate's contact information and a written consent from the candidate to serve if nominated and elected. Shareholder recommendations for nominations to the Board will be accepted on an ongoing basis and such recommendations will be kept on file for consideration when there is a vacancy on the Board. The committee consists of the following Independent Trustees: Frances A. Sevilla-Sacasa, Chair; Thomas L. Bennett (ex officio); Ann D. Borowiec; John A. Fry; and Janet L. Yeomans. The Board has adopted a written charter of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, which is attached as Appendix C. The Committee held 5 meetings (all of which were virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic) during the 12-month period ended August 31, 2021.

In reaching its determination that an individual should serve or continue to serve as a Trustee of the Trust, the committee considers, in light of the Trust's business and structure, the individual's experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills (the “Selection Factors”). No one Selection Factor is determinative, but some of the relevant

factors that have been considered include: (i) the Trustee's business and professional experience and accomplishments, including prior experience in the financial services industry or on other boards; (ii) the ability to work effectively and collegially with other people; and (iii) how the Trustee's background and attributes contribute to the overall mix of skills and experience on the Board as a whole. 

The Trustees perform this risk oversight function throughout the year in connection with each quarterly Board meeting. The Trustees routinely discuss certain risk-management topics with Fund management at the Board level and also through the standing committees of the Board. In addition to these recurring risk-management discussions, Fund management raises other specific risk-management issues relating to the Funds with the Trustees at Board and committee meetings. When discussing new product initiatives with the Board, Fund management also discusses risk — either the risks associated with the new proposals or the risks that the proposals are designed to mitigate. Fund management also provides periodic presentations to the Board to give the Trustees a general overview of how DMC and its affiliates identify and manage risks pertinent to the Trust.

The Audit Committee looks at specific risk-management issues on an ongoing basis. The Audit Committee is responsible for certain aspects of risk oversight relating to financial statements, the valuation of the Trust's assets, and certain compliance matters. In addition, the Audit Committee meets with DMC’s internal audit and risk-management personnel on a quarterly basis to review the reports on their examinations of functions and processes affecting the Trust.

The Board's other committees also play a role in assessing and managing risk. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Committee of Independent Trustees play a role in managing governance risk by developing and recommending to the Board corporate governance principles and, in the case of the Committee of Independent Trustees, by overseeing the evaluation of the Board, its committees, and its activities. The Investments Committee plays a significant role in assessing and managing risk through its oversight of investment performance, investment process, investment risk controls, and fund expenses.

Because risk is inherent in the operation of any business endeavor, and particularly in connection with the making of financial investments, there can be no assurance that the Board's approach to risk oversight will be able to minimize or even mitigate any particular risk. The Funds are designed for investors that are prepared to accept investment risk, including the possibility that as yet unforeseen risks may emerge in the future.

The Board’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee makes Independent Trustee candidate recommendations to the Board pursuant to its charter.  The Committee evaluates a candidate’s qualification for Board membership and the independence of such candidate from DMC and other principal service providers.

The Committee evaluates candidates using certain criteria, considering, among other qualities, a high level of integrity, appropriate experience, a commitment to fulfill the fiduciary duties inherent in Board membership, and the extent to which potential candidates possess sufficiently diverse skill sets that would contribute to the Board’s overall effectiveness.

The Committee considers prospective candidates from any reasonable source, including from recommendations by shareholders of the Trusts.  The Committee initially evaluates prospective candidates on the basis of preliminary information required of all preliminary candidates, considered in light of the criteria discussed above.  Those prospective candidates that appear likely to be able to fill a significant need of the Board would be contacted by a Committee member to discuss the position; if there appeared to be sufficient interest, a meeting with one or more Committee members would be arranged.  If the Committee, based on the results of these contacts, believed it had identified a viable candidate, it would air the matter with the full group of Independent Trustees for input.

Any request by management to meet with the prospective candidate would be given appropriate consideration.  The Trusts have not paid a fee to third parties to assist in finding nominees.

Shareholders seeking to recommend one or more candidates to the Board should direct the names of such candidates they wish to be considered to the attention of the Trusts’ Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, in care of the Trusts’ Secretary, at the address of the Trusts listed on the front page of this Joint Proxy Statement.  Such candidates will be considered with any other trustee candidates on the basis of the same criteria described above used to consider and evaluate candidates recommended by other sources.

For candidates to serve as Independent Trustees, independence from DMC, its affiliates and other principal service providers is critical, as is an independent and questioning mindset.  The Committee also considers whether the prospective candidates’ workloads would allow them to attend the vast majority of Board meetings, be available for service on Board committees, and devote the additional time and effort necessary to keep up with Board matters and the rapidly changing regulatory environment in which the Trusts operate.  Different substantive areas may assume greater or lesser significance at particular times, in light of the Board’s present composition and the Governance Committee’s (or the Board’s) perceptions about future issues and needs.

Set forth in Appendix D is information regarding shares of the Funds beneficially owned by each Trustee Nominee as of the Record Date, as determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as well as the aggregate dollar range of shares owned by each Trustee Nominee of Funds within the Delaware Funds by Macquarie complex.

To the best of the Trusts’ knowledge, as of the Record Date, no person owned beneficially more than 5% of the outstanding shares of any class of any Fund’s securities, except as set out in Appendix E.  As of that date, all of the Trustees and officers of the Trusts, as a group, beneficially owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each class of the Funds.  In addition, no Trustee or nominee purchased or sold any securities of Macquarie or its affiliates during the past fiscal year.

The fees paid to the Trustees are allocated among the Trusts based on their Funds’ relative asset size.  Information relating to compensation paid to the Trustees for each Trust’s most recent fiscal year is set forth in Appendix F.

Shareholders of each Trust, including each Fund and class thereof, will vote on a trust-by-trust basis to elect Trustees to that Trust’s Board.  For each Trust, the presence at the Meeting of one-third of the outstanding shares of such Trust shall be sufficient to constitute a quorum for that Trust.  Trustees are elected by the affirmative vote of a plurality of shares present at the Meeting and entitled to vote, at which quorum is present.  This means that the 13 candidates who

receive the largest number of votes will be elected as trustees.  In the election of trustees, votes may be cast in favor of a candidate or withheld.  If elected, the Trustee Nominees will serve as Trustees.

THE BOARD, INCLUDING THE INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES, UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS OF EACH TRUST VOTE FOR THE ELECTION OF EACH TRUSTEE NOMINEE.

The Board does not intend to present any other business at the Meeting. If, however, any other matters are properly brought before the Meeting, the persons named in the accompanying form of proxy card/voting instruction form will vote thereon in accordance with their judgment.

The Trusts generally are not required to hold annual meetings of shareholders, and the Trusts currently do not intend to hold such meetings unless certain specified shareholder actions are required to be taken under the 1940 Act or a Trust’s charter documents. Any shareholder who wishes to submit proposals to be considered at a special meeting of a Fund’s shareholders should send such proposals to the Secretary of the relevant Fund at 100 Independence, 610 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2354. Any shareholder proposal intended to be presented at any future meeting of a Fund’s shareholders must be received by such Fund at its principal office a reasonable time before the solicitation of proxies for such meeting in order for such proposal to be considered for inclusion in the proxy statement relating to such meeting. Moreover, inclusion of any such proposals is subject to limitations under the federal securities laws. Persons named as proxies for any subsequent shareholders’ meeting will vote in their discretion with respect to proposals submitted on an untimely basis.

Shareholders who wish to send communications to the Board or the specific members of the Board should submit the communication in writing to the attention of the Secretary of the relevant Fund, at the address in the preceding paragraph, identifying the correspondence as intended for the Board of the Fund or a specified member of the Board. The Secretary will maintain a copy of any such communication and will promptly forward it to the Board or the specified member of the Board, as appropriate.

Shareholders of record of the Funds as of the close of business on the Record Date are entitled to vote at the Meeting. Shareholders of the Funds on the Record Date will be entitled to one vote for each share and a fractional vote for each fractional share that they own.  No shares have cumulative voting rights in the election of Trustees.  The number of shares that you may vote is the total of the number shown on the proxy card/voting instruction form accompanying this Joint Proxy Statement. Appendix B sets forth the number of shares issued and outstanding for each class of each Fund as of the Record Date.

Any shareholder giving a proxy has the power to revoke it by mail (addressed to the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Trusts at the address shown at the beginning of this Joint Proxy Statement) or webcast at the Meeting, by executing a superseding proxy or by submitting a notice of revocation to the relevant Fund. A superseding proxy may also be executed by voting via telephone or Internet. The superseding proxy need not be voted using the same method (mail, telephone, or Internet) as the original proxy vote.

All properly executed and unrevoked proxies received in time for the Meeting will be voted as instructed by shareholders. If you execute your proxy but give no voting instructions, your shares that are represented by proxies will be voted “FOR” each Trustee Nominee and, in the proxies’ discretion, “FOR” or “AGAINST” any other business that may properly come before the Meeting.

For each Trust, the presence at the Meeting, via webcast or by proxy, of one-third of the outstanding shares of such Trust entitled to vote, as of the Record Date, shall be necessary and sufficient to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business for that Trust or Fund.

In the event that a quorum is not present at the Meeting, or if there are insufficient votes to approve the Proposal by the time of the Meeting, the proxies, or their substitutes, or the chairman of the Meeting may propose that the Meeting be adjourned one or more times to permit further solicitation. Any adjournment by the shareholders requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the total number of shares that are present via webcast or by proxy when the adjournment is being voted on. If a quorum is present, the proxies will vote in favor of any such adjournment all shares that they are entitled to vote in favor of the Proposal and the proxies will vote against any such adjournment any shares for which they are directed to vote against the Proposal. The proxies will not vote any shares for which they are directed to abstain from voting on the Proposal.

Effect of Abstentions and Broker Non-Votes. For purposes of determining the presence of a quorum for transacting business at the Meeting, abstentions and broker “non-votes” (i.e., shares held by brokers or nominees, typically in “street name,” as to which (i) instructions have not been received from the beneficial owners or persons entitled to vote and (ii) the broker or nominee does not have discretionary voting power on a particular matter) will be treated as shares that are present for purposes of determining a quorum. For purposes of determining the approval of the Proposal, abstentions and broker non-votes do not count as votes cast with respect to the Proposal. Accordingly, abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on Proposal.

Broker-dealers that hold a Trust’s shares in “street name” for the benefit of their customers will request the instructions of such customers on how to vote their shares on the election of a Trustee Nominee. The Trusts understand that, under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), such broker-dealer firms may for certain “routine” matters, without instructions from their customers and clients, grant discretionary authority to the proxies designated by the Board to vote if no instructions have been received prior to the date specified in the broker-dealer firm’s request for voting instructions. The election of a Trustee is a “routine” matter and beneficial owners who do not provide proxy instructions or who do not return a proxy card/voting instruction form may have their shares voted by broker-dealer firms in favor of the Proposal. Broker-dealers who are not members of the NYSE may be subject to other rules, which may or may not permit them to vote your shares without instruction. We urge you to provide instructions to your broker or nominee so that your votes may be counted.

The initial solicitation of proxies will be made by mail. Additional solicitations may be made by telephone, e-mail, or other personal contact by the Trusts’ officers or employees or representatives of DMC or one of its affiliates or by a proxy soliciting firm retained by the Trusts. DMC has retained Computershare as proxy solicitor to assist in the solicitation of proxy votes primarily by contacting shareholders by telephone and facsimile. The proxy solicitor’s services include proxy consulting, mailing, tabulation and solicitation services. The cost of retaining such proxy solicitor, including printing and mailing costs, is estimated to be approximately $3,500,000-$5,000,000, to be borne by the Trusts. Costs will vary depending on the number of solicitations made. The Trusts’ officers, and those employees and representatives of DMC or its affiliates who assist in the proxy solicitation, will not receive any additional or special compensation for any such efforts. In addition, the Trusts will request broker-dealer firms, custodians, nominees and fiduciaries to forward proxy materials to the beneficial owners of their shares held of record by such persons.

Investment Adviser. DMC, located at 100 Independence, 610 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2354, serves as the current investment adviser to the Funds. DMC is a series of Macquarie Investment Management Business Trust (a Delaware statutory trust), which is a subsidiary of Macquarie Management Holdings, Inc. (“MMHI”). MMHI is a subsidiary, and subject to the ultimate control, of Macquarie Group Limited (“Macquarie”). Macquarie is a Sydney, Australia-headquartered global provider of banking, financial, advisory, investment and funds management services.

Distributor. Delaware Distributors, L.P. (“DDLP”), located at 100 Independence, 610 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2354, serves as the national distributor of the Funds’ shares.

Copies of each Trust’s Annual Report for the most recently completed fiscal year previously have been mailed or made available to shareholders. This Joint Proxy Statement should be read in conjunction with each Annual Report. You can obtain copies of the Annual Reports, without charge, by writing to the respective Trust or to DDLP at 100 Independence, 610 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2354, or by calling 800-523-1918. You should receive the reports within three business days of your request. Copies of these reports are also available free of charge at www.delawarefunds.com.

To avoid sending duplicate copies of materials to households, the Trusts may mail only one copy of this Joint Proxy Statement to shareholders having the same last name and address on the Trusts’ records, unless a Trust has received contrary instructions from a shareholder. The consolidation of these mailings benefits the Trusts through reduced mailing expenses. If a shareholder wants to receive multiple copies of these materials, the shareholder should make a request by writing to that Trust’s Transfer Agent at their address set forth above.